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@uitrit taire ste-nt @fitta AMOS F. GERALD, 0F KENDALLS MILLS, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO B. B. BEL;

' CHER, OF CHIGOPEE,.MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 82,824, dated October 6, 1868.

IMPROVED CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN:

Be it known that I, AMOS F. GERALD, of Kendalls Mills, in the State of'Maine, have invented a new and improved Curtain-Fixture; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure'l is an elevation of said xture, with a shade attached. Y Figure 2 is a sectional view, the plane of horizontal section being indicated by the line X X in iig. 1, and part of the roll and the pressure-spring and disk being shown entire.

Figure 3 is a plan view of said fixture; and Figure 4 is an elevation of the spring and itsdisk, whereby the proper friction is applied to the roll.

My invention relates to thatfclass of curtain-fixtures in which the roll is made to remain in any position" to which it may be adjusted `by the friction produced by a spring, while the roll is still left free to turn by a slight draught upon the curtain itself, vor the cord.

The construction ofany invention is as follows The cylindrical wood roll R has the spool, S, rigidly attached to one end, to receive the curtain-cord, and has the opposite end plane, and cut at right angle to the axis of the roll.

The spool-end of the roll is supported by the projection J, on the inner side of the bracket C', this projection serving as a journal, which enters a bearing formed in the end of the spool. Attached to this bracket, C', or formed ou it, is 'atongue or projection, D', which extends laterally' across the face of the spool S, and serves to prevent the cord D from escaping from the spool. The other bracket, Q', has a foot, which is screwed tothe window-casing or other support, and a cup-shaped head, which is nearly cylindrical, and hollow, the diameter ofthe inside space being about the same as that of the roll, so that the end of the latter can turn easily within it as a bearing. v

A spiral spring, B, having a ilat disk, Armly attached to 'one end, is set within the cup, the coil being large enough to hold the spring in place within the cup by its pressure against the sides. .The spring'is made in a conical form, so that when pressed together, the successive coils willlie tlat, and thus allow the use of a much' i shallower cuprthan would be required .if the spring were of uniform diameter throughout. As the end of the roll is pushed back into thev bracket C far enough to allow the journal J, inthe opposite bracket, to enter its bearing in the spool, this conical formof the springB, which per-mits each coil to pass within the next larger one, and allows 'the disk A to move back nearlyto the rear end of the cup, is an important feature in the practical construction of my invention. i

The spring and its disk being set within the cup-shaped brack'et C as a socket, and the roll R being placed y in its bearings, the pressure of the disk A against the end of the roll, and the transmitted pressure of the spoolend against the bracket C', will cause the roll, and the curtain attached to it, to remain in any position desired,

without the use of any ratchet-wheel and pawl, or other separate detent, and without securing the end of the curtain-cord to any fixed point.

It may be necessary, with a very heavy curtain, to roughen the surface of the bracket C, at the point Where the spool presses against it, so as to .obtain greater friction. By p roperly adjusting the size and temper of the spring A to the purpose to which vthe 'fixture is to be applied, the 'latter can be made to sustain the curtain at any desiredheight, while the' roll can be turned by draught` upon the-cord or the curtain itself.

I am aware'that various applications of springs have beenmade to the rolls and brackets of curtain-fixtures, and I do not broadly claim such an application, but limit my invention to the peculiar construction ofthe cup. shaped bracket C and the conical spiral spring B, having the disk A rigidly attached to it, and contained within such bracket as a socket, in combination with theroll R, having the end which enters the bracket plane,

and cut at a right angle to the axis of 'the roll, substantially as I have herein set-forth the construction and arrangement of said parts. i t

Some ofthe advantages of my invention -are, the relative cheapncssof its construction, its simplicity and durability, and the' ease with which the fixture can be put up in any place by inexperienced persons. As the rolls are generally cut to the required length bythe person putting up the ixture, and the different parts adjusted upon the spot, the simplest possible arrangement of the coacting parts is desirable to compensato for any inaccuracy in adjusting the parts to place, such as setting the bearings out of line, or cutting oii` the roll obliquely or irregularly. Any dificulty from the former mistake is prevented by the loose socket or bearing in the bracket C, and it will be seen that the disk A will adjust itself to the end of the roll R, and produce a. uniform pressure upon it, even if the end of the latter should be made somewhat irregular or bevelling, tho conical spring permitting the'necessary play of the disk.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

,The construction and arrangement of the cup-shaped bracket C, and the conical spiral spring B, contained within it, and having the disk rigidly attached to its smaller end, in combination with roll It and bracket C', having projection J andl tongue D', all arranged, constructed, and operating as herein described and shown, substantially as described.

AMOS F. GERALD.

Witnesses:

S. S. BROWN, Gr. W. HUNT. 

